Combined stock and hay rack for wagons.



-H. e. TILLE. COMBINED STOCK AND HAYRAGK FOR'WAGONS.

#APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 25, 1907.

900,046. j Patented Sept. 29,1908,

3 sums-sum 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsHmaraN, o. c.

v H. e. TILLE. COMBINED STOCK AND HAY BACK BOB WAGONS.

APPLICATION FILED 001225, 1907.

THE NORRIS PETERS 42., wAsnmoraN. n. c.

' HENRY Gr. TILLE, OF DYSART, IOWA.

j COMBINED sTocK AND HAY RAOKFOR WAGONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

' Application filed. 0ctober25, 1907. Seria1No.399,116;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LHENRY G. T1LLE,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Dysart, in the county of Tama and State of Iowa, have invented a certain newa'ndusee ful Combined Stock and Hay Rack for Wagons, of. which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is toprovide a device of the class designated, of simple and durable construction, so arranged that when used 'as a hay rack, it will befirmly.

supported to. withstand all of the strains to which hay racks are ordinarilysubjected,

and which may be quickly and easily folded to position forming a completely inclosed and firmly :braced stock rack, 3

A further object is to providea device of this kind that may bequickly and easily changed from one of its positions to-the other, without the use oftools.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are. attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, [pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichr a Figure 1 shows a rear elevation of a wagon bed having my improvements ap lied there? to, the rack being shown by so id lines, in position for use as a hay rack, and by dotted ines in position foruse as a stock rack. Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of same, to illustrate the position of the'ladder at the front of the hay. rack... Fig.3 shows a side elevation of a wagon bed with myimprovements applied thereto, and in positionv for use as a stock rack. At the forward end of same,.the ladder is shown in its foldedposition by solid lines, and in its elevated position by. dotted lines; Fig. 4 shows adetail pers ective :view illustrating one of the latches or connecting together theadjacent sides of the top. of therack, when 111 its p0 sition for use asa stock rack. Fig. 5 shows a bottom view of one of the bracketsfor supporting the rack sides upon thewagon bed. Fig. 6 showsan enlarged detail vlew illustrating the hinged connection for theladder at i thefront of the rack. Fig. 7 shows an enlarged detail sectional view of apart of the ,wagon bed,.and oneof the rack supporting brackets, with'one of therack sides supported thereby. Fig; Sshows a rear elevation of awagonbed with an end "to the to gate therein, and the rack removed to show that the parts permanently attached to the wagon beddo not in any way interfere with the use of the wagon bed without the rack, andFig. 9 shows a top or plan view-of, the rear portion of a wagon bed with the rack on one side shown in an extended position, and the rack on the other sidevof the center shown in its ositionfor use as a stock rack.

The dotted ines in said figure show the center: of the wagon bed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 10 is used to indicate the bottom of the wagon bed, and 11 the u right'sides thereof. An end gate 12 of or inary construction is detachably connected with the wagon bed in the usual way, and is illustrated herein sim ly for the purpose of showing that my attac ment does not in any way interfere with same.

. Attached to they outer sides of the wagon bed is a number of upright bars 13, each having a groove therein narrowest at its outer edge, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Attached of the wagon bed side directly above eac of the bars 13 is a metal bracket arm'14 provided with a hinged joint at 15 and bolted to the. inner face of the wagon side, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fixed to the under surface of the bracket arm 14 near its outerend, is a lug 16,- to

held-against outward movement on account of the groove being narrowest at its outer portion, and the said block 18 being fitted therein. The downward movement of the block 18 is limited by a stop 19, at the bottom of the bar 13. By this arrangement, it is obvious that the bracket arms 14 are pivotally connected to the tops of the wagon sides, and when the blocks 18 are at their lower limit of movement resting against the sto s 19, then the bracket arms 14 will be fir y supportedv in a horizontal position. against downward movement. If it is desired to raise the arms 14, the blocks 18 will freely slide in the grooved bars 13, and will permit the arms 14 to move to a vertical position as upon each set of said brackets are the rails 20. On the outer end of each bracket is a bar 21 extended at right angles to the arm 14, so that it will stand in a vertical position 5 when the arm 14 is horizontal. Attached to these bars 21 are the rails 22, which extend the full length of the wagon bed.

The part formed by the bars 21 and rails 22 is of such size that when the brackets are moved to a vertical position, the adjacent rails 22 on the opposite sides of the wagon will stand close to each other and thus form a top for a stock rack. In this connection, I have provided means for locking together the adjacent rails 22, as follows: On the bars 21 on one side of the wagon, I have provided a series of spring latches, each comprising a plate 23 hinged to the bar 21, and provided with a slot 24, and mounted on said plate 23 is a slide 25 of ordinary construction designed when extended, to pass over the slot 24. On the mating bar 21 is a loop 26 designed to project through the slot 24, and to receive the slide bolt 25.

25 In use, when the extension sides are moved to position for use as a stock rack, the operator may then cause the plates 23 to be moved to position where the loops 26 will extend through the slots 24, and then the 30 bolts 25 may be set to position as shown in Fig. 4, for locking the adjacent bars 21 together.

I have provided for forming a rear end for I the rack as follows: Hinged to each of the rear bracket arms 14 are two uprights 27 and connected with these uprights are the rails 28.

The end pieces thus formed may be held in position by means of the hooks 29, as shown in Fig. 9, and these end pieces are of such size and. shape that when the device is in position for use as a hay rack, they will assume substantially the positions shown in Fig. 1,

and provide a rear end piece for a hay rack,

and when the sides are moved to position for use as a stock rack, these end pieces will fit against the rear end of the wagon bed, and

also stand close to each other, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

At the front of a Wagon bed is a stationary frame composed of bars, and indicated by the numeral 30. At the top of this front piece 30, on each side, is a metal plate 31 having a rear extension 32 with a hinged joint 33 at the rear end thereof. The reference numeral 34 indicates a hay ladder of ordinary construction having hinged braces 35 at its lower end to engage the hinged members 33, in this Way permitting the ladder to fold rearwardly over the top of the rack when in position for receiving stock. In order to hold this ladder in a vertical osition when used for hay, I have providec in each side of the ladder a bolt 36 extended through an opening in the plate 31, and a winged nut 37 is provided for each bolt which, when in position as shown in Fig. 6, will hold the ladder upright, but which when removed, will permit the lad dcr to swing rearwardly and rest upon the top of the stock rack.

In practical use, and assuming the device to be in position for use as a hay rack, then the rails 20 will form extension bottoms on both sides of thewagon bed. The rails 22 will form upright ends for said extension bottom, and the frames 28 will form upright rear braces for said extension bottom. There will also be at the front of the wagon a front piece 30 with. a ladder 34 atits top, thus forming the complete hay rack strongly and firmly supported in position. If it should be so desired to use the wagon as a stock rack, the operator first moves one of the extension sides upwardly to a vertical position. He then moves the other sideupwardly to a vertical position, fastens the latch devices at the top, and then lowers the ladder on to of the rack, all of which operations may be done by hand, and without the use of tools, and when the device is thus adjusted, a strong and durable stockrack is provided thatis completely inclosed on all sides. Access may be had to the interior of the stock rack by sim ly disengaging the hooks 29 and permitting the frames composed of the parts 27 and 28 to swing rearwardly on their hinges.

The construction. of the extension sides is the same at the front of the rack as it is at the rear, except that there are no extension end pieces attached thereto for the reason that the front of the wagon is provided with a permanent front, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, therefor, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a wagon bed, of bars fixed to the outer surfaces of the wagon bed sides, and containing grooves narrowest at their outer portions, blocks slidingly fitted in said. grooves, bracket arms hinged to the wagon bed above said grooved bars, braces pivoted to the bracket arms and to said blocks, means for limiting the downward movement of said blocks, extension sides fixed to said bracket arms, extension frames fixed to the outer ll") ends of the bracket arms at right angles thereto, said extension frames on the opposite sides being designed to stand close together when the extension sides are in vertical positions and latch devices for holding said extension frames together when in adj acent positions and extension end pieces fixed to the extension sides, and so sha ed that their inner ends project inwardly eyond the sides of the wagon bed when the extension sides are horizontal, and said ends also extend to the bottom of the bed when the extension sides are vertical.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a wagon bed, of bars fixed to the outer surfaces of the wagon bed sides,

and containing grooves narrowest at their bed above said grooved bars, braces pivoted to the bracket arms and to said blocks, means for limiting the downward movement of said blocks, extension sides fixed to said bracket arms, extension frames fixed to the outerends of the bracket arms at right angles thereto, said extension frames on the opposite sides being designed to stand closetogetherwhen the extension sides are in vertical positions, latch devices for holding said extension frames together when in adjacent positions, said latch devices each comprising a plate hinged to one of the frames and provided with aslot, a, slide bolt connected with said plate and a loop fixed to the adjacent frame and designed to pass through said slot,

and to receive said slide bolt.

a 31in a device of the class described, the

frame fixed in an upright position at the front of the wagon bed, and having at each upper corner a plate provided with a rear extension, a ladder hinged to said rear extension and capable of swinging from a horizontal rearwardly inclined position to a vertical position, in engagement with said plates, and a bolt passed through each of the hinged ends of the ladder and designed to extend through the plates when the ladder is in a vertical position, and thumb nuts on said bolts for supporting the ladder in its vertical vposition.

1 Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 7, 1907.

HENRY G. TILLE.

Witnesses J. H. ROZEMA; ANNA SCHULTZ.

I o combination with a wagon bed, of a front outer portions, blocks slidingly fitted in said ooves, bracket arms hinged to the wagon 

